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What’s Your Fear Factor?

Fear. I know it well. I think I have several Masters degrees in it. It comes and goes. Sometimes it lingers longer than I’d like, but it is always a temporary visitor.

Over the years I’ve noticed that my thoughts about things such as moving to a new place, money, changing jobs, walking on the edge of a cliff (literally), speaking up, or starting or ending a relationship have triggered fear. Those moments and situations were never fun, but they certainly taught me a lot about living.

On a recent flight to New York I was lost in my book reading when the plane experienced turbulence. The woman next to me gasped, and clutched the arm rest. I turned to her and smiled, and we both laughed. Spell broken – for a moment. As I turned back to my book, my mind started feeding me all sorts of fear-inducing, plane crash scenarios. I sat there amazed at what my imagination was churning out. As I noticed that amazement, I realized that my fear had been replaced by amusement. Good catch!

Here are some words that came to me after a meditation on fear last month:

“When you take a leap into the well of fear, you may notice that things do not feel very good there. When you retreat into that darkness, things may seem overwhelming and impossible. You may become ‘paralyzed’ and find that you are moving AWAY from your dreams instead of INTO them.

What price do you pay when fear takes hold? Notice what happens on the physical level – perhaps constriction of muscle, a tightness in your chest, shallow breathing, or cold sweat.

When you are lost in fear, what emotions creep in? Where do your thoughts go? Contrast that to the physical, mental, and emotional repercussions when you are happy, and full of excitement.

When you can identify your fears and embrace them with love and compassion, then you will find that the time you spend visiting them DECREASES and the time you spend in excitement, joyful curiosity, wonder, and PURE LOVE INCREASES.

Which would you prefer?”

ESSENTIAL OIL recommendations for helping to deal with fearful/anxious feelings: